Christian Living

What A True Christian Looks Like

Acts 26.20 states, I declared to those in Damascus first, and then to those in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, performing deeds consistent with repentance.

What should a Christian look like? A Christian is a disciple of Jesus Christ. A disciple is an obedient follower of the commands of Jesus. Not complicated really but certainly arguable, at least it has been for more than 2000 years. Why? (more…)

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January 27, 2017
Christian Living / Suffering / Theology

God isn’t the Problem, We Are!

Nehemiah 9.33 proclaims, You are righteous with regard to all that has happened to us, for You have acted faithfully. It is we who have been in the wrong!

When things go badly for us our propensity is to blame God. Our thinking goes something like, ‘if He loved me He would do good to me.’ “Since He is all powerful He can keep the bad from happening.” “Since I am a good person God should want good for me.” “Since bad is happening to me anyway either God is not good or God is not all powerful.” (more…)

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January 19, 2017
Christian Living / heaven / Judgement

Who Is Most Important?

Matthew 10.39 promises, whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life because of Me will find it.

At one time in our not to recent past it was popular to ‘find yourself.’ The remnant of that objective remains in all of the self help and self absorption we still see encouraged today. Everything is about personal happiness and fulfillment.

It is why we have come to espouse that your truth and my truth can both be true while being totally opposite from one another. This narcissism has created a culture without shame and without purpose. (more…)

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January 10, 2017
Christian Living / obedience / Theology

The Source of Truth

Genesis 3.4 observes, the serpent said to the woman, surely you will not die. You would think that if God said something it would be taken seriously and believed wholly. After all, it only makes sense that if there really is a God He would be honest, truthful and trustworthy.

(As an aside, no other religion beyond Christianity makes such claims about their god. All of the other gods from those of the Indians to the Muslims portray him or them as deceitful, conniving and manipulative). (more…)

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January 3, 2017
Christian Living / Suffering

Where is Jesus?

John 12.26 states, anyone who wants to serve Me must follow Me, because My servants must be where I am. And the Father will honor anyone who serves Me.

God feels like an option. We do what we want to do with apparently little to no consequence for our behavior; at least in the short term. I am not speaking about breaking the laws of society but about doing the will of God in society.

If there really is a God, it seems like He could and even should demand our loyalty and allegiance and that we would willingly give Him both. (more…)

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December 22, 2016
Christian Living / evangelism

Stop Watching, Start Doing

Luke 23.49 observes, Jesus’ friends, including the women who had followed Him from Galilee, stood at a distance watching.

A lot of people are standing from a distance watching for God to do something.

Sometimes we are waiting for Him to rain hell fire upon our enemies because we know how much they deserve it. Sometimes we are waiting for Him to heal us or our friends because we know how much He cares for us. Sometimes we are waiting for Him to bless us because we know how much He loves us. We wait, we hope but….. (more…)

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December 9, 2016
Christian Living / obedience / work

Determining What is First Place in our Lives

1 John 5.21 ends the letter with, dear children, keep away from anything that might take God’s place in your hearts.

The Apostle John ends his letter succinctly with the summary admonition to stay away from anything that might take God’s place in our hearts. This statement feels much like the Lord Jesus’ summary of what God the Father really wants from us: love Him with all of our heart, soul, mind and strength. (more…)

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December 6, 2016
Christian Living / Judgement / money

What Really Keeps Us From Serving God.

Luke 16.13 observes, no one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and be enslaved to money.image

The Bible has many warnings against the pursuit and accumulation of wealth. It is interesting that God observes that our greatest competitor to Him will not be some strange idol from a weird man-made religion but a desire to be wealthy. Why do we want wealth? (more…)

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December 2, 2016
Christian Living

Loving the World vs. Loving God

James 4.4 warns, you adulterers! Don’t you realize that friendship with the world makes you an enemy of God? I say it

Book page

again: If you want to be a friend of the world, you make yourself an enemy of God.

What does it mean to be a friend of the world? Being a friend to anyone means liking them, possibly imitating them and wanting to be their constant companion. So why does God warn us about being a friend of the world? (more…)

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November 24, 2016